44 minute read
Divers Alert Network
from Scuba Diver #55
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DISINFECTING YOUR SCUBA EQUIPMENT
Michael Menduno offers up some sage advice on methods of cleaning and disinfecting your scuba equipment
With the COVID-19 pandemic easing and
people slowly returning to diving, it seemed appropriate to revisit our recommendations regarding disinfecting scuba equipment. Accordingly, we reached out to nearly a dozen manufacturers for their input and latest recommendations. Note that DAN US published a quick guide to disinfecting scuba equipment in March 2020, which was later updated in June 2020 and titled Disinfection of Scuba Equipment and COVID-19.
Of course, it continues to be important to rinse and clean your scuba equipment to prevent wear and premature aging, as has been discussed in prior articles. However, as everyone is aware, the pandemic has introduced additional requirements. Though it might not be necessary to disinfect your own gear after diving, all of the vendors we spoke to agreed that it is essential to disinfect scuba equipment that comes into contact with a diver’s face, eyes and mouth before sharing the equipment with other divers. This includes but is not limited to the second stage regulator mouthpiece and internal surfaces, snorkel, BCD oral inflator and mask. Rebreather manufacturers also pointed out that it is essential to regularly disinfect the breathing loop to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria even if it is only used by one diver.
It is also to keep in place protocols that minimize the possibilities of transmission. This includes social distancing, washing/sanitizing hands before and after touching their own and someone else’s gear - that is before and after the dive in most instances. Note that being in water may reduce contact transmission risks, but experts remain divided on the degree or duration required to inactivate COVID-19 in particular, so a conservative approach is recommended. So for example, it is best to modify gas sharing drills, so that divers do not breathe off another’s regulator.
Disinfectant products
Vendors recommended some commonly used disinfectants including Virkon products including Rely+On Virkon, Virkon S, and Chemgene, that have shown to be effective against the virus. Other products such as sodium hypochlorite, the active ingredient in bleach, which is inexpensive and readily available, has been studied in many different concentrations, and its effectiveness against viruses has been proven. In a study that examined COVID-19 specifically, it was found that a sodium hypochlorite concentration of 0.1% or 1,000 ppm in water was needed to reduce infectivity when sprayed onto a hard-non-porous surface. A second study on the same virus found that 0.1% sodium hypochlorite would inactivate the virus within one minute.
CDC recommends a solution of 1/3 cup bleach per gallon of water (22 ml bleach per litre of water) with a soaking time of 1-2 minutes for hard, nonporous surfaces. This relatively weak 2% bleach solution and short contact time should not cause damage to scuba regulators.
When using bleach, the use of gloves, a mask, and eye protection is encouraged. It is important to read the product label carefully, checking the percentage of active ingredient, and diluting it in water in the right ratio. Mix the water and bleach solution in well-ventilated areas, and use cold water, as hot water will decompose the active ingredient.
Items disinfected with bleach must be thoroughly rinsed with fresh water and allowed to dry before use, as it is corrosive to stainless steel (in higher concentrations) and irritating to mucous membranes, skin and eyes. Highly concentrated bleach solutions have also been found to be harmful to life-support equipment. Do not use bleach in rebreather counterlungs and other breathing loop components unless advised otherwise by the manufacturer. Disinfect counterlungs as directed by the manufacturer.
Vendors also mentioned quaternary ammonium compounds, or quats, such as Steramine and Barbicide, which are commonly used to disinfect rebreathers, and are frequently active ingredients in cleaning solutions. These agents are hydrophobic and as such are effective against enveloped viruses; quats are thought to react with the viral envelope and ‘disorganize’ it, leading to
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the contents of the virus leaking out and degrading. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the use of products containing these compounds to fight the coronavirus disease. However, quats are also harmful to the environment, so care must be taken in their use and disposal. Please responsibly dispose of these chemicals (for example, down a drain leading to a wastewater treatment plant), as they can negatively affect marine life, especially algae and micro-organisms.
Alcohol can also be used to combat COVID-19. According to the Centre for Disease Control (CDC), an alcohol solution of at least 70% isopropanol or ethanol can be used to disinfect surfaces. However, repeated use of alcohol can harm certain types of plastic and rubber by causing swelling, hardening and cracking of these materials, so it is most likely not the best disinfectant to use on scuba equipment.
In Europe, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has published guidelines about disinfecting for COVID-19. In the US, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has also published a list of disinfectants that are effective against COVID-19.
Environmental considerations
Given the increase in equipment disinfection and attention on effective disinfectants, it’s important to consider the environmental aspects. Disinfectant products kill microorganisms, and continue to kill or cause harm, even in diluted form, when discharged into the environment until they break down. Accordingly, we recommend that you consider the following to make sure that you disinfect your equipment in an environmentally-friendly manner. Check the safety data sheet (SDS) for the product you’re using, and never discharge a disinfectant solution into the environment. The SDS includes information such as environmental and human toxicity, proper disposal and other important information.
Thoroughly rinse disinfected scuba equipment with fresh water, and allow it to dry. Small amounts of disinfectant will be in your rinse water, so that also requires responsible disposal. Follow manufacturer guidance for waste disposal.
You are safe using disinfectants registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that are effective against any specific or local microorganisms of concern. Unfortunately there isn’t a European equivalent. You can look up the EPA registration for a specific disinfectant in the Pesticide Product and Label System to determine if you can use the product on scuba equipment, respirators or other breathing equipment.
Even if cleaning products are labeled as environmentally friendly, never dump them overboard or pour them onto the ground. Dispose of them as specified on the product’s SDS.
In conclusion, as long as the pandemic persists, it’s important to properly disinfect your scuba equipment if it is to be used by others, and in a way that does not harm the environment. Know the composition of the products you use, and be aware of the potential impacts of disposal. It is our responsibility as divers and dive operators to care for and preserve the aquatic environment that we love. Thank you!
Additional Resources
Environmental Considerations for Disinfection (February, 2021) By Francois Burman, Pr.Eng., M.Sc., and Chloe Strauss. n
beyond technical
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Mines are man-made and inherently a higher risk environment than the vast majority of natural caves. A cave is formed over a long period of time and its intrinsic stability is due to this. Mines are cavities excavated over a relatively short time period and not there because of any natural process.
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Kurt Storms is now an experienced Belgian cave diver and underwater photographer, but his first overhead dive was in the depths of the Carriere mine in Denée, and here he returns to this atmospheric site, which is a regular haunt for him and other local cave divers
Photographs by Kurt Storms
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Tyres and other rubbish is dumped near the entrance
In the past, a lot of black marble was mined
in Belgium, mainly on the Namur sides. Mining was an important pillar in the past, and the precious black marble was distributed worldwide. One of these mining places was the black marble mine in Denée, a Belgian village that since 1977 has been a part of the municipality of Anhée, in the province of Namur. The famous Maredsous Abbey is located nearby.
The Carriere is a well-known mine among Belgian cave divers and once, a long time ago, I took my first steps into cave diving here. This mine is a one-hour drive from my home, so I spend some time here on a regular basis with my buddy Willem Verrycken.
The mine is closed off with a fence, and to gain access, you have to be a member of VVS or UBS (I am a member of VVS, or Vlaamse Vereniging van Speleogen).
On this visit, it was time to take my wife Caroline Massie and former student Nico Seymus into this beautiful underwater world. Both had recently become members of VVS, but had never dived here before. I agree with Nico that he will pick up a key so that we can enter the system - the key will be ready in a locker at the covenant house.
We arrived at 10am, and as usual Nico was right on time and eager to get to the parking lot. First, I explained to Caroline and Nico what it’s like here, what they can expect and see, and so on. After the thorough briefing, we load everything, using speleo bags to make transport easier.
A snapshot of the past frozen in time
Many mine workings remain in-situ
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Diver exploring Carriere Mine
Mine diving is very different to cave diving
Access to the mine is via a steep drop, and for this we use a rope. There is a lot of rubbish down there - two years ago they removed two containers of rubbish, but you can still see more left here - car tyres, fridges, etc - that were dumped here in the past. Even a small car wreck was once brought down here! After a few trips up and down the rope, we were ready to change and put our drysuits on.
Once ready and at the water’s edge, we geared up. We ran through our S-drill and then we disappeared under the water for a bubble check. We dived in one team of three divers. The corridors in the Carriere are large and the water is very clear, making visibility seemingly endless. After about 50 metres, we came to a fork, and here I took the right-hand side. We passed some remains from its mining past, including a large wheel.
I signalled here for my buddies to pose for a moment so that I can take some photographs.
Kurt took his wife Caroline for her first Carriere dive
Then we continued along the corridor and here and there I turned around to take a picture and check everything was alright with the team, especially since they were here for the first time. After about 30 minutes, we returned to the exit, and I am overwhelmed by the beautiful words and amazement of my dive companions.
After a small break of about five minutes, we leave again and take the left passage. In this direction, after about ten minutes, we come to the end of our possible routes and return to the entry/exit point. The Carriere mine at Denée is a very beautiful mine, but can best be described as ‘very sporty’ when it comes to transporting all of your diving equipment to and from the entry and exit point! n
Stuart Philpott has dived around many Caribbean islands, and he has trawled through his archives to bring this round-up of some of the best shipwrecks in the region
PHOTOGRAPHS BY STUART PHILPOTT
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Ihave always wanted to visit the Maldives for its pure beauty of white sand, blue water and magical sunsets. Also, just hearing someone mention the Indian Ocean makes me start dreaming of a tropical underwater paradise. When starting to do some research on this place, I quickly found out that shark fishing has been completely banned in all Maldivian atolls since 2010, and ray fishing since 2014. I suddenly got even more excited for our trip.
My partner and I arrived at the Dhigali resort in a tiny propeller-driven seaplane, some 45-minute flight from Male international airport. The island is located in the Raa
Atoll in the northern part of the Maldivian archipelago. We got a warm welcome and a useful orientation briefing by manager Kate. My first impression of Dhigali was that the island was very green and jungle-like, creating an authentic and exciting atmosphere. The island is one kilometre long, which is quite big compared to many other resorts with similar guest capacity. This, together with the owner´s intention of keeping as much natural vegetation as possible, has created a very lush, genuine environment.
DOING THE JUNGLE WALK While exploring the island, we stumbled upon the ‘jungle walk’. Here, 80 percent of the vegetation is preserved and joined by little wooden signs with interesting facts about the wildlife and the plants found here. As we continued along the jungle walk, a group of flying foxes landed in a fruit tree just in front of us. We could also hear many different species of birds around us. On the ground, a small lizard made its way into the bushes.
However, the next moment I reminded myself that I actually get up at 6am every morning just to fit in three or four dives a day, and I suddenly felt a lot better!
28 WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM THE US VIRGIN ISLANDS The US Virgin Islands are made up of four main islands - St Thomas, St John, St Croix and Small Water Island. St Thomas has some really nice wrecks but is not often visited by UK divers. Choices are limited to a handful of dive centres, including JJ Divers and Coki Dive Centre. Blue Island Divers has just closed down. Originally owned by a Brit, Aitch Liddle, they ran a friendly, professional service at the Crown Bay Marina Suite.
In all there are 40 sandy beaches. Accommodation varies from selfcatering apartments to resort hotels. Dive centres usually offer pick up from hotels with water frontage, otherwise for all other accommodation it’s best to hire a car. There are more than 20 wrecks scattered along the south coast. Most are at a depth of around 30m and no more than 5km offshore (35 minute boat ride). Some even have portholes and brass fittings still attached.
The WIT Shoal II is probably the best wreck dive on St Thomas. The 99-metre-long LST (Landing Ship Tank) was built in 1943 by Kaiser Co Inc. She saw intense action in the Pacific during World War Two and was involved in a number of the infamous beach landings. By the early 1980s she had become a non-functioning derelict and was sunk during Hurricane Klaus on 6 November 1984. She was re-floated in order to be scrapped but sank while being towed to her final destination. She now lies at a max depth of 28m, just 3km outside of St Thomas harbour. There are five deck levels to explore. The engine room is well worth a visit, although finding a way in can be quite tricky. The stern, wheelhouse and crane are the best areas. Two knot currents are quite common, but diving with some water movement does have its advantages. Monotone bulkheads transform into a blaze of colour when thousands upon thousands of tiny orange cup corals open up to feed. This wreck is perfect for night dives.
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Byron Conroy heads to the Maldives in search of big-animal encounters – and he is not left wanting
PHOTOGRAPHS BY BYRON CONROY
The
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Don Silcock made the long haul from Australia to the Azores in search of some big-animal encounters – and he was not disappointed
PHOTOGRAPHS BY DON SILCOCK
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Like the tips of icebergs, the islands of the Azores archipelago are just the visible peaks of a remarkable chain of underwater mountains that rank among some of the highest in the world. They rise up from the Azores Platform, a huge area of nearly 6 million km2, which in itself is just a small part of the incredible Mid-Atlantic Ridge, that runs the complete length of the Atlantic Ocean - from the far north and the Arctic Ocean, to the deep south and the Southern Ocean.
The Azores Platform is some 2,000m below the ocean surface, but the Mid-Atlantic Ridge is grounded on to the seabed another 2,000m below that, while the tip of Pico (the tallest island of the archipelago) is 2,350 metres above sealevel, making the mountain that is Pico about 6,500 metres high in total elevation.
28 Sat as they are, roughly halfway between the edge of southern Europe and the tip of North America, the nine islands of the oceanic archipelago of the Azores offer the only shelter from the notorious seas of the North East Atlantic.
Underwater, that archipelago sustains an incredible ecosystem because those nine visible peaks are just a fraction of the 100-plus underwater mountains and seamounts that are both a beacon to marine life and a catalyst for the interaction between the many pelagic species that aggregate there.
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION… Swept by the warm tendrils of the southern Gulf Stream, rich in tropical nutrients and dissolved organic nitrogen, the Azores archipelago is far enough south from the frigid winter waters of the Arctic that even in midwinter the area can support the food-webs necessary to sustain a complete marine ecosystem.
So, while the rest of the North Atlantic is practically barren at that time of the year, the Gulf Stream creates rich upwellings around the mountains and seamounts of the Azores that become fertile oases to which the large pelagic animals of the region aggregate.
Come spring and rising temperatures, the Azorean waters burst into life with huge planktonic blooms and krill spawning events, creating the perfect feeding conditions for the hungry great whales of the northern hemisphere as they migrate to their Arctic summer feeding grounds.
THE GREAT WHALES OF THE AZORES The deep waters, undersea mountains and overall ecosystem of the Azores make it an almost perfect location for sperm whales - deep-diving animals that hunt and feed on the giant squid that abound in the depths around the archipelago. It is also one of the few places in the world where, under a special permit from the Regional Environment Directorate, it is possible to be in the water with those sperm whales – which is what convinced me to undertake the marathon journey from Sydney!
September is the optimum month as it has the best visibility, reasonable water temperature, most tourists have departed and it’s the end of the calving season, with the highest chance of curious juvenile sperm whale encounters.
I based myself in Madalena, the main town of the picturesque island of Pico in the central Azores, which is dominated by the Mount Pico volcano - the highest point in the archipelago and in all of Portugal.
Thankfully dormant since its last eruption in 1718, a drive up to the flanks of Mount Pico affords a view that seems to stretch to eternity and puts into perspective the sheer isolation of these islands.
It is that very view, combined with the nature and tenacity of the Azorean people, that allowed a shore-based sperm
WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM 29 T he outboard motor on our speed boat wined in protest as a furious current tried its best to thwart us from reaching our destination. The texture of the water was another clear indication that this dive was going to be far from sedate. Resembling a fastrunning river rather than an ocean, in some parts the sea seemed to boil and performed an agitated little dance, in other areas whirlpools drifted along the fast-moving surface. In contrast, different sections of the sea were as flat as glass and, for a split second, we were afforded a brief glimpse of the utter mayhem below.
Our experienced driver dropped us a little way in front of the reef, to give us some hope of reaching our target. We aimed to get down to 20-25m as fast as possible and to find a good place to secure a reef hook before the current swept us off the dive site. With this feat completed, it was now time to watch the show.
Immense schools of fusiliers and yellow-masked surgeonfish had congregated where the current first hit the reef, known as ‘the split’. They, in turn, attracted the unwanted attention of a whole host of predators. Huge gangs of the thuggish-looking giant trevallies casually mingled with the fusiliers, grey
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In the pale light of a wintery Canadian dawn, the Arctic blast persuades me to snug my hat securely down over my ears. Emerging from the neck of my parka, my muffled voice emits curly wisps of white vapour into the cold air. A barrel-chested John Olivero vaults clear of his truck in a long-sleeved T-shirt loudly announcing ‘let’s go diving!’ My sturdy Canadian resolve cannot hide my disbelief.
“First, we have to get out of the driveway, Johnny!” I mumble.
“No problem!” he smiles backs. “We have a secret weapon!”
Who would have imagined that a diving expedition would require a snowplow? On this day, we need it to move the metre-deep snow that has accumulated overnight. But the list of necessary tools is even more peculiar. For months, John Olivero and Ocean Quest
Adventure Resort (www.OceanQuestAdventures.com) owner
Rick Stanley wrangled volunteers, convincing them to heft pickaxes and shovels to prepare for our visit. The group of selfless volunteers moved tons of iron ore, built decks and benches, and installed critical lighting in preparation for us to dive into the depths of the
Bell Island Mine. February never deterred their dedication.
On the contrary, there is plenty of time in the winter for projects and diversions. In Newfoundland, summertime is an orgy of outdoor activity – 18-hour days crowded with whales, World War Two wrecks, beach picnics and icebergs, leaving little room for manual labour. Winter is work time.
Summer is for play.
The currents of
Adrian Stacey waxes lyrical about the adrenalinefuelled drift dives that can be enjoyed in the wild waters of the Komodo National Park
PHOTOGRAPHS BY ADRIAN STACEY
WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM Up currents, down currents, washing machines, currents that do not go in the direction they are supposed to, and currents that just come out of nowhere, can all be encountered in the national park
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We design, manufacture and retail scuba and rebreather equipment. We have fully equipped test and certification labs, and can pressure test large items in our vacuum chambers, as well as run fully automated leak test and dive simulations down to 400m. Our EMC and EMF lab is filled with state-ofthe-art equipment for testing electromagnetic compatibility and electromagnetic fields. We also have a large in-house laser for cutting and engraving on plastics and metals. www.narkedat90.com
Jill Heinerth waxes lyrical about the underwater delights that lie in store for adventurous divers off the coast of Newfoundland around the picturesque Bell Island
PHOTOGRAPHS BY JILL HEINERTH WWW.INTOTHEPLANET.COM
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Newfoundland
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Mention the words ‘wreck diving’ on a club RIB or a dive charter boat and it’s guaranteed to get a reaction. In the UK, wreck diving is king. Who doesn’t enjoy exploring shipwrecks? Some get their kicks from the historical aspect, while others are attracted by an oasis of marine life. There is another contingent I would describe as ‘trophy hunters’, but the shallower wrecks were stripped yonks ago, leaving only the sub-50m tech wrecks laden with brass. Back in the good old days, every wreck diver was tooled up with a lump hammer, chisel and lifting bag. I would like to think that today’s discerning wreck diver has a moreconscientious approach, with thoughts more on preservation rather than plunder, but I’m sure there are still a few divers out there that would disagree!
Our whole coastline is littered with tens of thousands of shipwrecks at varying depths to suit every level of recreational and technical diver. The English Channel alone has more than 40,000 recorded wrecks! The Dorset coast has its fair share and, fortunately for me, this has been my stomping ground for many years. I have explored most of the favourites in the 0m-40m range and taken a few reasonable pictures along the way. There are far too many amazing wrecks to mention in detail, so I have skimmed across the surface, detailing a selection of the very best. Except for the Royal Adelaide, Nor and Landing Craft wrecks lying off Chesil Beach, all of the sites I’ve mentioned are boat dives.
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These sites are well protected from rough weather which means virtually guaranteed diving throughout the year
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Stuart Philpott takes a whistlestop tour of some of the most-popular wreck dive sites along the South Coast
PHOTOGRAPHS BY STUART PHILPOTT
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Each issue, the Scuba Diver test team bring you the latest product and equipment releases from the dive industry. Cannot wait for the next edition? Keep up-to-date with all the latest gear news and reviews by heading over to the Scuba Diver YouTube channel! www.youtube.com/ScubaDiverMagazine
GARMIN DESCENT MK2S | SRP: £949
Mark Evans: When Garmin launches the Descent MK2, it picked up where the innovative MK1 left off. It rectified the few issues with the original version, notably with a bigger, better display and overall better aesthetics. There was more functionality – both for diving, and a plethora of other sporting activities – and this made it a tidy package. The release of the MK2i, which offered all of this with the addition of air-integration capabilities, was a crowning glory for a supremely efficient unit. Never one to rest on their laurels, Garmin then looked at their potential market, and released there was nothing out there in the wristwatch dive computer market that was designed for smaller builds, be that women, youths or just smaller blokes. Not everyone wants a whopping big dive computer on their wrist for daily wear – my wife Penney loves her D4, but only wears it for diving as it swamps her wrist and is not practical for daily watch wear. And that is where the Descent MK2S comes in. Available in carbon-grey with black silicone band, light gold with light sand silicone band, and as tested here, mineral blue with sea foam silicone band, the MK2S is significantly smaller than the MK2 or MK2i. It has a 1.2-inch sunlightreadable sapphire display, and 43mm case. It looked right at home on my wife’s wrist, and on my teenage son Luke (though he said he would want the carbon-grey colourway!). The Descent MK2S boasts Garmin’s full suite of diving features as well as encompassing all of the company’s smartwatch and health features, including activity tracking, smart notifications, stress and energy tracking, and Garmin’s industry-leading women’s health features, such as menstrual and pregnancy tracking. As with the MK2 and MK2i, the diving side of things is easy to get used to. To get started into the diving menu is simplicity itself – you just press the top right-hand button and it brings you on to the screen where you can select the type of diving you are going to be doing – so either single gas, multi-gas, closed-circuit rebreather, gauge mode, apnea, or apnea hunt for the spearos out there. There is also a dive planning option. Let’s focus on single-gas mode, which is what most users will be doing. Another press of the top right-hand button gets you on to a screen where you can see what your nitrox mix is, what your maximum operating depth is, and what level of conservatism you have it set on. You can also see
your surface interval. If you need to edit your gas mix or conservatism level, you just press the bottom left button and it takes you to a screen where you can go in and change these. At any time, once you are done, pressing the bottom right-hand button takes you back a screen. From that first dive screen, another press of the right-hand button takes you to a screen where it shows whether it is set for salt or fresh water, and what the safety stop timer is. Again, to edit you just press the bottom left-hand button. A third press of the right-hand button takes you to the ‘dive screen’ itself. I found this nice and clear, and easy to understand during the dive. You can clearly see the nitrox mix, the water temperature, your NDL, your current depth, and your dive time. The display up the left-hand side of the screen goes from green, to orange, to red, and the hand rises as your NDL gets nearer to zero, so as well as the actual digit display, you get this handy visual graphic as well. The display on the righthand side is rather neat. If you are hovering motionless in the water, the hand remains at the 3 o’clock position, and if you start to ascend, it goes up, and if you start to go too quickly, it warns you with orange, and then if it goes into red, the entire screen alerts you to the fact you are ascending too quickly. So, a rapid ascent warning, nothing new there. But what I liked was the fact that the hand can go the other way, to show when you are descending. This may seem pointless to some people, but I can imagine this being very useful if you were out in the blue looking for sharks, for instance, with no point of reference. If you are at this stage and need to change your gas mix, you can just press the top right-hand button and it takes you to the gas select screen. As changing your gas mix is probably the most regular thing you will ever do, this makes it quick and easy to do. After diving, when you want to look at your logbook, you just press the bottom left-hand button and the first thing on the screen is the dive log. Top right-hand button press and you are into the log. On this first screen it gives you the time, depth and water temp of your last dive (and a scroll down goes back dive by dive). A further right-hand press, and after a quick loading screen, you get more details, including a graph of your profile alongside the time, depth and water temp info. This screen also appears on the MK2S when you first get out of the water and back on your boat/dry land. Penney is a warm-water-loving diver, and with the restrictions on travel from COVID, while we had this unit for test, we have not been abroad, so she graciously said she’d test it from a daily watch and topside exercise point of view, leaving myself and Luke to don our drysuits and go and dive it in UK waters!
Each issue, the Scuba Diver test team bring you the latest product and equipment releases from the dive industry. Cannot wait for the next edition? Keep up-to-date with all the latest gear news and reviews by heading over to the Scuba Diver YouTube channel! www.youtube.com/ScubaDiverMagazine
GARMIN DESCENT MK2S | SRP: £949
Luke and I mainly dived it on air, and set the MK2S to low conservatism. I used it alongside my Shearwater Perdix, and the NDL was very close on all of the dives, as you’d expect, ax both use the tried-and-tested Buhlmann ZHL-16c algorithm. While we are talking drysuits, the Mk2S has a neat feature where you can swap out the straps quickly and easily with a clip system (similar to the Suunto D5). This lets you change to different colours if you so wish, but it also means you can change out the standard strap for a longer version designed to go over a drysuited arm (this comes with the computer). Much neater than adding an extension strap to the existing strap. Luke was in his Fourth Element Hydra drysuit with 3mm neoprene gloves, and had no trouble pressing the buttons on the Descent MK2S to navigate through the menu on the surface before the dives, or scroll through the dive screens during the dives. One thing I have seen commented on online is the screen
of the Descent MK2S (and the MK2 and MK2i), and some people saying it is hard to read. As I said in my review of the MK2i, that is a load of tosh. Topside, I found I could read the display even when the backlight was not on, but once it was on, it is very easy to see. While diving, I had the backlight set for on all the time, and it made the screen nice and clear, even in bright sunlight in the shallows during a safety stop. I didn’t really notice a massive difference in brightness once I took it over 60-70 percent, I have to say, but suffice to say you can easily see the display either in watch mode or while on a dive. As we said before, all dives on the MK2S have been in the UK, and a few dives in particular, the vis was, shall we say, marginal at best, yet the Descent MK2S was clearly legible even in these grim conditions with the backlight on full. The Garmin Descent MK2S is rechargeable, and I am a big fan of the method of charge - a clamp system on to charging points on the back of the watch, which is solid and secure. A full charge only takes a few hours, and then you can get several days of daily watch-wear out of it before it needs another boost of juice. You get a solid 30 hours of dive time out of a charge too. Where the Descent MK2S wins hand’s down against the competition – although, as we have said, there are not really any ‘smaller’ wristwatch dive computers on the market - is with all of the other features it contains within its svelte body. I am not going to go into all the ins and outs of each, but suffice to say, if you are an active person, the Garmin has you covered! Being based on the tried-and-tested Fenix 6, it has functions for running, biking, hiking, golf, swimming (both pool and open water), kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, boating, triathlon, yoga, cross-county skiing, even jumpmaster for those who liking leaping out of planes, as well as new modes for surfing, mountain biking, indoor climbing and even a recovery advisor which recommends how long to rest before another big effort in activity. It monitors your heart rate and your blood oxygen level (when it is directly on your wrist), calories burnt, the list goes on. And as a smart watch, you also get your phone messages on the screen, and it can even handle your music choices, either from your phone or even stored in the unit itself. Let’s just say there is a lot to get to grips with! The Garmin Descent MK2S comes in just under a grand, which might seem pricey, but if you bought a top-of-the-line wristwatch dive computer and a smartwatch, you’d spend more combined than you would on the Descent MK2S. If you are an active person who does other sports, and you want a wristwatch that can handle a plethora of your activities including diving, but not look massive on your wrist, then the Descent MK2S is the logical choice. www.garmin.com
Each issue, the Scuba Diver test team bring you the latest product and equipment releases from the dive industry. Cannot wait for the next edition? Keep up-to-date with all the latest gear news and reviews by heading over to the Scuba Diver YouTube channel! www.youtube.com/ScubaDiverMagazine
THERMALUTION HEATED GLOVE SYSTEM | SRP: £415 FOR FULL STAND-ALONE SET
Mark Evans: Exposure protection for diving in cold waters has certainly developed over the years. Gone are the days of thick ‘woolly bear’ undersuits and 7mm non-compressed neoprene drysuits - and the tonnes of lead need to sink you. No, now you have technologically advanced undersuits, base layers, trilaminate and compressed neoprene drysuits, which all serve to keep you warm and toasty. But perhaps the biggest innovation in recent years is the plethora of dryglove systems on the market. There is nothing worse than having frozen digits, and so the advent of drygloves, which keep your hands nice and warm, with all the increased dexterity that affords, have become a regular sight at inland and coastal sites in this country and beyond. What could be better than a dryglove, I hear you ask. Well, how about a heated glove within your dryglove? There are a few heated glove systems out there, including one from Santi, which we reviewed a few months ago. Now Thermalution, who brought you the heated vest which could be used under a wetsuit or a drysuit, and full heated undersuits, have now released a heated glove system. Many heated gloves are just on or off, but the Thermalution gloves offer three heat settings. The gloves are switched on and off, and you can move up and down the heat settings, via a nifty magnetic switch arrangement, which allows you to make adjustments on the fly even while you are diving. You simply cross your hands, which puts the magnet on one hand on to the control on the other. Vibrations signal heat changes and on/off. It takes a little bit of practice to get your hands into the right position, but you soon get the hang of it. These would be perfect underneath a dryglove system, but as they can be used wet, they can even be used under a wet glove – say you are diving in the Med in the winter in a thick semi-dry with hood and gloves. Now you can add an extra degree of warmth to your hands. However, I would say the majority of the time, these will be used under drygloves, so I paired them up with the KUBI dryglove system fitted to my Otter Atlantic drysuit. One thing to bear in mind, that I immediately discovered, is that if you are wearing the Thermalution gloves on their own underneath your dryglove, and your drygloves are quite tight, be careful not to snag a hole on your glove from the magnet on the Thermalution. If your drygloves are quite loose, this probably wouldn’t be such an issue. If you are wearing a pair of normal dryglove inner-gloves over the top of them – they are extremely thin, so this is not an issue - that removes the potential threat from the edges of the magnet. You can get these as standalone products, with their own batteries which mount on your forearms, or you can add them on to existing Thermalution undersuits (some they can just be added into the system, others will require new
Each issue, the Scuba Diver test team bring you the latest product and equipment releases from the dive industry. Cannot wait for the next edition? Keep up-to-date with all the latest gear news and reviews by heading over to the Scuba Diver YouTube channel! www.youtube.com/ScubaDiverMagazine
THERMALUTION HEATED GLOVE SYSTEM | SRP: £415 FOR FULL STAND-ALONE SET
batteries – if in doubt, contact the Thermalution team). I was using the standalone variant. These come with batteries and holders which fasten securely around your forearm. A power cable then snakes down to your wrist, where it connects via a wet connector to the cable on the gloves. I tried various routing options – one time I had the cable from the battery poking out of my drysuit seal, so that I could just connect the glove, slide on my dryglove and I was ready to dive. This works fine, but I ended up with excess cable within my dryglove, which was a bit of a pain. The next time I opted to have the glove cable go under my drysuit seal, so the wet connector and all of the battery cable were tucked inside the arm of my drysuit. Everyone will have their own method, but this second style worked best for me. I also found it was easier to put on the gloves, connect them to the battery packs and then don my drysuit. This was less faff than fishing out the power cable from the battery, connecting it to the glove and then trying to push it back under my drysuit wrist seal. In use, I found the ability to switch them on and off, and toggle up and down the heat settings, during the dive was a huge bonus. I whacked them on full heat to start with, and I actually had to dial it down slightly as my hands were getting too warm – something I never thought I would say when diving in the UK! Due to a mishap with one of my drygloves – when I had put a tiny pinhole in it after snagging it on the glove magnet – I am also able to confirm that the heated gloves work well
Each issue, the Scuba Diver test team bring you the latest product and equipment releases from the dive industry. Cannot wait for the next edition? Keep up-to-date with all the latest gear news and reviews by heading over to the Scuba Diver YouTube channel! www.youtube.com/ScubaDiverMagazine
THERMALUTION HEATED GLOVE SYSTEM | SRP: £415 FOR FULL STAND-ALONE SET
when wet! My entire dryglove flooded minutes after entering the water, but the heating elements in the glove meant that I was still able to complete the dive. Alas, because the cable from the glove to the battery goes under your drysuit wrist seal, water also tracked up here and so by the time I exited the water, I had a rather damp arm… Still, that’s a good reason to have a spare undersuit with you! As I found with the Thermalution vest, these gloves are multi-purpose. I have put them on to take the dog for a walk when the temperatures have been hovering around freezing – nothing beats the feeling of toasty warm hands when you are crunching through the frost in the morning. I haven’t been able to test them out on my mountain bike yet, but I imagine they will be awesome for keeping my hands warm when out on the trails in Wales during the winter months. Heated glove systems in general are not cheap, but if you are doing lots of cold-water diving, then nothing comes close to keeping your hands warm and with full dexterity. And with the forearm battery mounts, as we’ve said, with the Thermalutions, you can use these for all sorts of other activities too. The Thermalution gloves are depth-rated to 100m, so will be fine for the vast majority of technical divers out there. They come in four sizes – small, medium, large and extra-large. www.miflexhoseshop.co.uk
DORSET
DORSET DIVING SERVICES
t: 01202 122006 e: info@dorsetdiving.co.uk a: 25A Ringwood Road, Poole, Dorset, BH14 0RF 5 Star PADI Dive Centre offering PADI Courses, Kit Sales, Servicing, Air Nitrox and Trimix Fills. In house IDEST test station and workshop for on site repairs. www.dorsetdiving.co.uk
UNDERWATER EXPLORERS
t: 01305 824555 e: info@underwaterexplorers.co.uk a: Unit 1, Maritime Business Centre, Mereside, Portland, Dorset, DT5 1FD Leading Dorset dive centre stocking all major brands, air, nitrox, trimix fills, rentals and servicing beside Portland Marina and across from Chesil Beach. www.underwaterexplorers.co.uk
ESSEX
BESPOKE SCUBA DIVING LIMITED
t: 01708 837032 e: contact@bespokescubadiving.co.uk a: Becontree Heath Leisure Centre, Althorne Way, Dagenham, Essex, RM10 7FH Our mission is to provide quality & professional scuba training in a relaxed friendly environment. www.bespokescubadiving.co.uk
BLACK WATER DIVING
t: 07841 561680 e: info@blackwaterdiving.co.uk a: 18 Lower Park Road, Loughton, Essex, IG10 4NA PADI Dive training focussed on beginners. Try Scuba Diving for £20. Private swimming pools. Learn to scuba dive with 1:1 instruction at Blackwater Diving. www.blackwaterdiving.co.uk
DIVERSE SCUBA
t: 01375 892444 e: info@diverse-scuba.co.uk a: Ye Old Plough House Motel, Brentwood Road, Bulphan, Essex, RM14 3SR Diverse Scuba are one of the leading 5 STAR PADI IDC dive centres in the UK providing scuba diving courses and services to the Essex region. www.diverse-scuba.co.uk
ORCA SCUBA DIVING ACADEMY
t: 01268 520111 e: info@orcascubadivingacademy.co.uk a: 17 Repton Close, Burnt Mills Estate, Basildon, Essex, SS13 1LN Established in 2007 the Academy a vision of Gary to deliver the very best Scuba Diving School in Essex. www.orcascubadivingacademy.co.uk
KENT
BLUE OCEAN DIVING
t: 01622 212022 e: scuba@blueoceandiving.co.uk a: West Park Road, Maidstone, Kent, ME15 7AF 5* PADI scuba diving courses and training, organised diving trips and events, scuba equipment and friendly advice based in Maidstone. www.blueoceandiving.co.uk
KENT
KENT SCUBA LTD
t: 01843 621188 e: dive@kentscuba.com a: 23 Maple Leaf Business Park, Manston, Ramsgate, Kent, CT12 5DG Scuba is our passion and we want to share that by enabling others; turning your dreams into realities. www.kentscuba.com
KENT TOOLING DIVING PRODUCTS
t: 01227 700374 e: sales@divingproducts.co.uk a: Windgates, Church Lane, Waltham, Near Canterbury, Kent, CT4 5SS Kent Tooling Diving Products produce the widest range of rebreather and diving supplies and accessories in Kent and the UK. www.divingproducts.co.uk
HARROGATE
DIVESHACK UK
t: 07779 605863 e: tim@diveshack.uk.com a: 17 Station Parade, Harrogate, HG1 1UF Harrogates number 1 dive store. www.diveshack.uk.com
LANCASHIRE
CAPERNWRAY DIVING AND LEISURE LTD
e: info@dive-site.co.uk a: Jackdaw Quarry, Capernwray Road, Over Kellet, Lancashire, LA6 1AD The UK’s finest inland dive site... Welcome to Capernwray, the beautiful diving venue on the edge of the Lake District. www.dive-site.co.uk
EAST LANCS DIVING
e: info@eastlancsdiving.co.uk a: Daisyfield Pool, Daisy Ln, Blackburn, BB1 5HB East Lancashire’s only PADI approved Dive Centre - Undertaking all PADI courses and Specialities from Try Dive to Professional. www.eastlancsdiving.co.uk
MILTON KEYNES
MK SCUBA DIVING
t: 07957 710334 e: contact@mkscubadiving.co.uk a: Unit 50A, I-Centre, Howard Way, Newport Pagnell, Milton Keynes, MK16 9PY Friendly, professional and patient PADI, SDI and TDI scuba instructors, we proudly offer you high quality service, equipment and facilities. www.mkscubadiving.co.uk
NORWICH
CHRISTAL SEAS SCUBA LTD
t: 01603 485000 e: info@scuba4me.co.uk a: 62 Whiffler Road, Norwich, NR3 2AY We are Norfolk’s Premier dive centre with our own on-site swimming pool and well stocked shop with the latest equipment. www.scuba4me.co.uk
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE
GO DIVE
t: 01332 665353 e: sales@godive.net a: Nottingham Road, Spondon, Derby, DE21 7NP Take your diving to the next level with GoDive, the UK’s first fourth element concept store. Start shopping with us today! www.godive.net
PLYMOUTH
AQUANAUTS
t: 01752 228825 e: info@aquanauts.co.uk a: 88 Vauxhall Street, The Barbican, Plymouth, PL4 0EY Waterfront full service centre with direct access to the best wreck and reef diving the UK has to offer. www.aquanauts.co.uk
ROTHERHAM
DREAM DIVERS LTD
t: 07976 526050 e: info@dreamdiversltd.co.uk a: 18-20 Greasbrough Rd, Parkgate, Rotherham, S62 6HN PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Centre based in Parkgate, Rotherham. Our instructional team has been teaching PADI courses together in the Rotherham, Barnsley, Doncaster, Sheffield and surrounding areas of South Yorkshire since 2005. www.dreamdivers.co.uk
SHROPSHIRE
SEVERN TEC DIVING
t: 01939 291303 e: severntecdiving@gmail.com a: Seventec Diving, Unit 1J, Leaton Industrial Estate, Shrewsbury SY4 3AP We are a Scuba Diving Training Center with over 20 years experience with a multi-agency approach to scuba diving. www.severntecdiving.com
SOMERSET
DIVE ACADEMY
t: 01935 353525 e: info@dive.academy a: Unit 7-8 Boundary Avenue, Commerce Park, Yeovil, Somerset, BA22 8UU Somerset’s Premier. Scuba Diving Centre. Book a lesson. www.dive.academy
SUSSEX
OYSTER DIVING
t: 0800 699 0243 e: info@oysterdiving.com a: Maritime House, Basin Road North, Portslade, E. Sussex, BN41 1WR PADI 5-star IDC centre in London and S.E. Holidays around the world, active club and local dives. Exclusive lake in Surrey. www.oysterdiving.com
SUSSEX
PLANET DIVERS
t: 07889 883232 e: info@planetdivers.co.uk a: Planet Divers, The Angling Club, Royal Parade, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN22 7AA A Friendly Crew, Great Diving all year round. Excellent, Fun trips UK & Abroad for all levels, non-divers welcomed. www.planetdivers.co.uk
WEST MIDLANDS
AQUASPORT INTERNATIONAL
t: 0121 706 6628 e: info@aquasportonline.com a: The Dive Centre, 50 Lincoln Road, Olton, Solihull, West Midlands, B27 6PA The only purpose built diver training centre and dive shop in the West Midlands and the only PADI Dive Centre in the whole of Greater Birmingham and Solihull. www.aquasportonline.com
WILTSHIRE
DM SCUBA TRAINING
t: 07920 556116 e: instructor@hotmail.co.uk a: Filton leisure Centre, Elm Park, Fiton BS34 7PS DM Scuba hold pool training sessions in Bristol, Swindon and Bath giving you plenty of choice. www.dm-scuba.co.uk
YORKSHIRE
BELOW THE SURFACE
t: 07967 733764 e: info@belowthesurface.co.uk a: 26 Albert Street, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, HX7 8AH A PADI 5 star centre with over 30 years’ experience, we teach in small groups & at your pace. www.belowthesurface.co.uk
DIVEWORLD
t: 01142 332995 e: info@learn2dive.co.uk a: 185 Holme Lane, Hillsborough, Sheffield, Yorkshire, S6 4JR Welcome to Diveworld, dive school, dive club, dive retail and servicing, dive travel and more, the complete scuba package. www.learn2dive.co.uk
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THE BIG BAD WOLF
Mike Clark goes on the hunt for wolf fish off the north east coast - and you can too!
Q&A WITH IVANA ORLOVIC
We talk to the innovative model and photographer whose shots are instantly recognisable.
IN SEARCH OF GIANTS
Don Silcock heads off to photograph aggregations of giant Australian cuttlefish.
RAJA AMPAT
We explore the wonders of Raja Ampat in Indonesia - in the ‘off-season’.
TECH: SHOOTING FOR TV
Hamish Harper gives us a behind-the-scenes peek at the challenges around planning and filming water-based shoots for TV programmes.
GEAR GUIDE: TEST EXTRA
Editor-in-Chief Mark Evans dives the Avatar drysuit, and tries out the Paralenz Vaquita action camera.
